3D printing, sometimes called additive manufacturing, is the process by which three-dimensional objects are made from a single digital file created by 3D design software. What few people know is that 3D printing is about to transform the world as we know it.

3D printing, sometimes called additive manufacturing, is the process by which three-dimensional objects are made from a single digital file created by 3D design software. What few people know is that 3D printing is about to transform the world as we know it.

Initially, 3D printing was only compatible with basic plastics and photosensitive resins; however, this has since expanded to include ceramics, cement, glass, metals, fibers and many other materials, even human cartilage. Now that it can be used in such a wide variety of ways, the economic opportunities for 3D printing are continuing to expand. Even the U.S. Department of Defense is partnering with other companies to develop a 3D printer large enough to create pieces of jet fighters!

Because 3D printing allows tangible, three-dimensional objects to be created in one single piece, it has the power to completely revolutionize the world of production. With this technology, manufacturers will be able to bypass the design and production phases, meaning they will incur lower production costs and have a quicker time to market.

One of the unique aspects of 3D printing is that the pieces are created layer by layer, following a digital outline that a user has created within the 3D digital software. This meticulous approach to product design means that companies will have more options when it comes to customizing their offerings.

Detailed designs and woven materials that were previously impossible to create in mass production can now be done with this new technology, from customizing colors to appeal to specific audiences to personalizing based on customer requests.

Companies will be able to shorten the turnaround time on product upgrades and enhancements, too. With traditional manufacturing, releasing a new and improved product required extensive manufacturing setup times and costs, however with 3D printing, companies can continue to create upgrades by just adjusting the digital blueprint.

This will be a huge benefit to companies within the medical or technological fields where adaptation to the ever-changing needs of consumers is essential to success. Not to mention companies will be able to quickly produce on-demand replacement parts, customizing them to fit a customer’s request.

These printers will also lead to an influx of products on the market. As 3D printers grow commercially, more and more people will be able to churn out high quality products quickly and inexpensively. This will lower the barrier to entry in many industries, allowing more “little guy” competitors to enter and achieve success.

The 3D industrial revolution is upon us, and it’s now up to brands to respond accordingly. Companies that rely on a mass production strategy may soon be left in the dust by other brands who have embraced 3D printing. According to one CEO in the hearing aid industry, all major brands converted to 3D printing within 500 days, and those companies who did not convert simply did not survive.

It’s essential that brands realize the impact that 3D printing is poised to have and act quickly to adapt to this innovative technology and reap its benefits.

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Latin America has quickly become the new go-to spot for investors, with even the country of China having pledged a sum of $250 billion within the next ten years.

Latin America has quickly become the new go-to spot for investors, with even the country of China having pledged a sum of $250 billion within the next ten years.

Colombia is one of many markets, which has emerged as a new luxurious travel destination, and therefore a prime spot for an investment. In 2014 alone, over $600 million poured into Colombia from foreign investors. Even Silicon Valley has started to take notice of this country, with Mark Zuckerberg hosting Facebook’s first overseas town hall in the city of Bogota.

Despite its notorious background and history, the country expects to see its economy triple from the point it was at a decade ago. Much of that growth stems from the 50% increase in the middle class, a rise that has piqued the most attention among American investors. Colombia has definitely taken notice in the recent interest, recently announcing an initiative called PIPE 2.0 Plan, designed to boost growth and development in potential investment areas such as education, tourism and industrial production.

So, are you ready to invest in Latin America? Here are a few options to get started:

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)

Investing in real estate is a great way to get in on the Latin American economic boom. One way to do this is through Real Estate Investment Trusts, or REITs, which are companies that allow investors to invest in real estate and earn long-term income streams. REITs pay all income as dividends to shareholders so there are definite short-term payouts. In addition, investors get to invest in real estate without the hassle of purchasing the property themselves. REITs have recently shown high returns, including a 19.2% return seen in 2014 on the S&P Global REIT Index. Another option for potential real estate investors is REOCs, which are similar to REITs, but do not pay out dividends, instead investing income into other properties.

Purchasing property directly

For investors who are interested in breaking into the Latin America real estate market, but not so keen on the idea of a REIT, consider purchasing property directly through an agent or lawyer. Finding a local real estate agent to help you on your search will make it easier to move through the process quickly while still following legalities of the Latin American country you may not be as familiar with as your agent.

Remember the middle class

As the middle class continues to grow in countries like Colombia and the rest of Latin America, so will stocks for consumer items and industries including media, real estate, and technology. When choosing which foreign stocks to invest in, consider where this booming population will be directing their purchasing power to before making a decision.

Tech boom

In the last few years, Facebook, Google and Microsoft have all opened offices in Bogota, with Facebook founder, Zuckerberg, pledging to bring free internet to the country. Why the sudden interest in Colombia? Between 2007 and 2012, the country saw a 177% increase in the tech industry, hitting $6.8 billion. However, Silicon Valley is not doing all of the heavy lifting. Many Colombian companies have led this power surge, and they plan to continue to do so in the future, so investors take note.

The energy search

Many have started to seek for alternative sources of energy, and that this search has led them directly to Latin America, where companies like the EcoPetrol of Colombia and PetroleoBrasileiro of Brazil are sure to benefit. The Western world as a whole will surely start looking towards Latin America and these alternative energy companies for new hope in moving away from oil dependence.

Do not forget about bonds and commodities

Do not get stuck with investing solely in equities when branching out to the Latin American market for the first time. Diversifying your Latin American portfolio is just as essential as diversifying your American investment portfolio. Consider investing in a Latin American corporate or sovereign bond, which surprisingly, sometimes have higher yields than American or European bonds would.

In 2011, Colombian bonds were upgraded by the three major agencies, officially joining the investment-grade club. Commodities, especially the timber industry that could do fairly well in a time of increased development and construction, are also a good choice to diversify investment portfolios in Latin America.

The post Latin America Investing in 2016 appeared first on Economy Watch.

In 1976, the Standard and Poor’s 500 became the first stock market index tracked by a fund when Vanguard launched its legendary Vanguard 500 Index Fund (VFINX), which started with just $11 million and grew to become the largest U.S. equity mutual fund in existence by the late 1990s.

The year 1992 saw the first successful launch of an exchange-traded fund (ETF). It, too, tracked the S&P 500. Nearly a quarter century later, and largest ETF in existence is SPY, which tracks — you guessed it — the S&P 500.

In 1976, the Standard and Poor’s 500 became the first stock market index tracked by a fund when Vanguard launched its legendary Vanguard 500 Index Fund (VFINX), which started with just $11 million and grew to become the largest U.S. equity mutual fund in existence by the late 1990s.

The year 1992 saw the first successful launch of an exchange-traded fund (ETF). It, too, tracked the S&P 500. Nearly a quarter century later, and largest ETF in existence is SPY, which tracks — you guessed it — the S&P 500.

The Granddaddy of all Indexes Rules the Index ETF World

According to Forbes, the S&P 500 holds direct index assets of nearly $2 trillion, with an astounding $5 trillion benchmarked to the index, including derivatives. The S&P is the most important and most watched index in the world. The 500 mostly-U.S. companies it tracks are the most liquid in the world, and the index is the central indicator of the health and temperament of the overall stock market.

As index ETFs soared in popularity because of their low cost, simplicity and diversification, the funds that track the S&P 500 naturally rose to the top of the index fund world.

However, for many index fund investors, the honeymoon period may be ending.

The S&P 500 Misses Much of the U.S. Market

As Forbes recently pointed out, the 500 companies tracked by the S&P 500 represent around 80 percent of all market capitalization in the United States, which, on the surface, makes it a logical vehicle for investors looking to capture a wide swath of the U.S. market. However, the reality is, the S&P 500 tracks just a fraction of the nearly 4,000 U.S. stocks that are traded on the market.

Index funds that track the S&P miss literally thousands of mid-cap, small-cap and micro-cap stocks. Funds like the Vanguard Total Stock Market Index (VTSMX), which capture more than 99 percent of the market, have filled that void — and these comprehensive index ETFs are luring more and more investors away from traditional S&P 500 funds.

The S&P 500 is Still Good, but no Longer Unbeatable

MarketWatch points out that in the year 2000, when index ETFs began gaining widespread, mainstream popularity, the S&P was not just the most famous index, but it also displayed the performance to back up its popularity with index investors. In the two decades leading up to the turn of the millennium, the S&P 500 had compounded at 18 percent. During the last five years of the 1990s, it compounded at a staggering 28.6 percent.

However, that was then.

In the ensuing 15 years, the S&P 500 has been good — but not good, enough to justify its continuing position as the go-to index ETF for domestic stocks. Many investors who have purchased nothing but S&P index funds are now dusting off their budget planner worksheets to see if they could have done better with other domestic ETFs. It turns out, they probably could have.

After all, eight of the 10 Vanguard funds that MarketWatch profiled beat the Vanguard S&P 500 index fund over the last 15 years.

The S&P remains the most important stock market index in the world, and the funds that track it are safe, profitable, and as popular as ever. However, more and more index investors are falling out of love as other funds offer them everything in the S&P 500, plus the other 3,500 stocks in the lower 20 percent that the S&P misses.

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